No Matter What
by Lithium2016
Summary: Songfic. "No Matter What" by Papa Roach. I love this song and when I turned it on, I felt that this was perfect for Ranger and Steph! Babe all the way!


**Hey, guys! Thank you so much for the reviews on "Oceans"! I don't know if any of you know this song, but I really love it! I hope you all approve! Enjoy!**

** Song: No Matter What**

** Artist: Papa Roach**

** Album: Time For Annihilation**

_I need you right here, by my side_

_You're everything I'm not in my life_

_We're indestructible, we are untouchable_

_Nothing can take us down tonight_

_You are so beautiful, it should be criminal_

_that you could be mine_

(Ranger)

She is beautiful. She may not think it, but I know she is. Stephanie. I love her so much i could die. I really couldn't believe that she was mine. After Morelli, it was clear that we were a perfect match. Nothing would ever change that.

_And we will make it out alive_

_I'll promise you this love will never die!_

(Stephanie)

I love him with everything. Can he see that? God, if he can't I'll die. I swear. I won't live without him. Ever. Does he really love me? Or is this a pity trip because of Morelli? No...he wouldn't do that. Not to me.

_No Matter What, I got your back_

_I'll take a bullet for you if it comes to that_

_I swear to God that in the bitter end_

_we're gonna be the last ones standing_

(Ranger)

I hate them. I hate them all.

Whoever is messing with her, they are through. I hate that she decided to go after the psycho skip. Of course she did.

She's bomber.

I will be there for her. No matter what. Nothing will happen to her. Not if I'm involved.

_So believe me when I say_

_They'll never forgive us for the things we've done_

(Stephanie)

My mother is hysterical. She wanted me to marry Morelli. Grandma Mazur thinks that out of the two, I just went for the hotter one.

Lula is already planning the wedding, though I've told her-a thousand times-that we're not engaged. Even if we were, I am not having a big wedding.

In the words of Diesel: Been there, done that.

_And we'll make it out alive_

_I'll promise you this love will never die!_

(Ranger)

She thinks I'm kidding. I see it in her eyes. Every time her blue gaze meets mine, I know she doesn't believe.

The platinum ring with a small diamond was suddenly weighing a hundred tons in my pocket. What will she say? She's sitting in front of me on the seventh floor of the RangeMan building, watching some random show.

_No Matter What, I got your back_

_I'll take a bullet for you if it comes to that_

_I swear to Got that in the bitter end_

_we're gonna be the last ones standing_

_We'll never fight, we'll never fade_

_I promise you forever and my soul today_

_Mo Matter What until the bitter end_

_we're gonna be the last ones standing_

(Stephanie)

I stared, brain-dead, at the television. _Toddlers & Tiaras_. Why I was watching this, I had no clue. Ranger looked like a combination of nervous and anxious. Batman was nervous.

That was hardly ever a good sign.

"Ranger, what is wrong? It just a bunch of little girls in frilly dresses. Chill," I said. He blinked once, as if I brought him back from some distant land.

_And everybody said that we would never last,_

_and if they saw us now, I bet they'd take it back_

_It doesn't matter what we do or what we say_

_Cause nothing matters anyway!_

(Ranger)

"Babe," I started. Her eyes slid to me. I swallowed and cleared my throat. "I want to tell you something... Well, it's more or a question, really."

Her eyes shined with excitement and curiosity. "Yes?"

I swiftly pulled the ring out of my pocket and knelt down on one knee. "Steph, I know you, and you'll think that this isn't real. But, I love you. And I want to marry you. Stephanie Plum, will you marry me?"

Her mouth dropped open. "Yes." There was no hesitation. She seemed sure. Slowly, I slid the ring onto her left hand.

_No Matter What, I got your back_

_I'd take a bullet for you if it comes to that_

(Stephanie)

Ranger proposed three months ago. Lula's "I told you so" was expected. My mother did one of her fake fainting spells; Grandma Mazur slapped her awake. All the crazy skips were being handled. Everything was golden.

My cell phone chimed and I checked the caller-ID. Blocked. Ranger.

I answered and didn't get the chance to say a word. It was Tank.

"Steph, he's been shot."

I fell to my knees, sobbing. No way. The phone snapped shut and in an instant I was in my Porsche, headed to the hospital.

_I swear to God that in the bitter end_

_we're gonna be the last one standing_

_We'll never fight, we'll never fade_

_No Matter What until the bitter end_

(Stephanie)

I anxiously paced in the waiting room, my ring glimmered in the florescent lights. Tank and Lula were sitting in the plastic chairs, Connie was at the snack machine. Mom and Grandma Mazur were on their way.

My face was tear-stained. The nurse came out to talk to me.

"He'll be fine. We stopped it in time. Give him a few hours to wake up."

After two long hours, they let me back. He was lying there with his right arm taped to his body. Shot in the shoulder.

"Ranger?" His eyes opened.

"Babe," he mumbled. "I told you. No matter what, I'll do it for you. Even a bullet."

Carefully, I hugged him. He kissed my forehead. The promise that he will be there.

Everything was perfect again. Those words "No matter what" mean a lot to me now.

**Thanks for reading! I know that Lorena isn't in this one, and I apologize. I couldn't really find a way to fit her in. I wish I could have.**

**I guess this was a way to vent, really. I needed that. Actually, I think I'm going to work on another right now.**

**-Melissa**

**PS: Characters belong to JE. Song belongs to Papa Roach. I seriously own nothing in this, except the story.**


End file.
